𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐆𝐎 - 𝐢

|| 2 ||

Δύο

| Chapter 2: I Turn Into Peeta and Mommy Swallows A Baby. |

I sit up frantically and my breathing is uneven. My forehead is beaded with sweat. Questions run through my head.

Who is Luke? Why did I feel a tingling sensation when Luke touched me? Who is Annabeth? Who is Thalia? Why would Thalia sacrifice herself for Grover, Annabeth, Luke and me? Who is Grover? Is Grover a satyr? Do I know them? Are they one of my classmates that I accidentally ignore? Is this simply a nightmare?

But I know that it cannot be simply a nightmare. Demigods don't have the term, "simply a nightmare," or "simply a dream," in their dictionaries. Because, demigod dreams are visions. Whether they happened in the past, or they're happening right now, or they're going to happen in the future, they're real.

I take slow, shaky breaths, and play a game with myself. Real or not real.

It's the game that Peeta plays with Katniss, which is introduced to them by Finnick, in order to decipher whether the "memories" were real. Step-mom read it to me, as an attempt to teach me how dumb the mortals were. Using the Hunger Games to keep people in control.

"You will need this information about the Hunger Games in the future, my hero," she had said.

"For what?" I asked.

"You will see. The Fates will not be generous, if I say so. But, remember. Keep an eye out for the small girl."

"What small girl?" I questioned.

"You will know when you see her. That is all I can say," Proserpina said simply.

I begin the game. It's quite fun, actually. Much funner than screaming my lungs out.

The dream happened. Real or not real?

Not real. It hasn't happened quite yet, I answer.

I know Thalia, Luke and Annabeth. Real or not real?

Not real. I don't know them yet, I answer again.

I feel much better. I continue anyway. Slowly, I drift into sleep. Thankfully, no dreams plague my sleep.

💀💎💀💎💀

I roll out of bed, yawning. I stumble around, before changing out of my nightgown, hastily pulling a black, lacy, long-sleeved dress over my head. When I step out of my room and into the kitchen, I see Mommy and Father in the kitchen, already cooking. Today, Father has dark brown eyes, and his black hair was clipped short.

But Mommy's stomach is swollen.

"How much junk food have you been eating lately, Mommy?" I ask.

She laughs, a lyrical and beautiful laugh. "I haven't been eating any, honey. I'm Pregnant."

I frown. "You're Mommy, not Pregnant!"

Father shakes his head. "What your mother means, is that she has a baby in her stomach."

My eyes widen with shock. "How did a baby get into her stomach? Did it crawl inside?"

"No," Father sighs.

"Did Mommy swallow one?" I ask.

"No!" Father sighs, with what seems to be exasperation.

"Then, what is it?" I prompt, waiting for a proper response, instead of "no," which I think is not an actual explanation; "no," at least in my opinion, cannot explain anything and just simply tells whether the question is right or wrong.

Father and Mommy exchange an awkward look. He nudges Mommy gently. "Your mother would be better at explaining this."

Mommy scoffs. "Ask Hera or Eileithyia. Just because Athena is wise and smart about making choices doesn't mean that she can explain the process of pregnancy in an appropriate way."

Appropriate. So that means that the word, "pregnant," is inappropriate?

Father thinks for a while, pondering over how to explain this to me, and finally speaks, "Well, women...erm...have a time in the month where they are kind of...bloody, so to speak. The blood comes from...uh. an egg that is in the woman's stomach. When the egg doesn't fully develop, it turns into blood. But when it fully develops, it turns into a baby, which lives in the mother's stomach."

I nod, even though I'm still confused. I act as though I perfectly understand everything Father just said.

How come women have an egg in their stomach? My teacher only mentioned birds and reptiles laying eggs. Also, why does the egg turn into blood? How does it turn into blood, to be exact?

"Anyways, being Pregnant is a very...exhausting process." Father says.

I frown. Why do I have to know that?

"So I'll be with your mother, who can't take care of you right now. You're going to be taken care of by Proserpina," Father continues.

Oh. That's why. I feel my lower lip start to tremble. Is he saying that I'm a burden? But then, I perk up. Staying with Step-Mom? That means that I get yummy, chocolatey croissants!

"Come on, honey. Give your mommy a good-bye hug?" Mommy asks.

I scramble to climb up into Mommy's arms and I cling to her waist tightly. "How long am I going to stay with Step-Mommy?" I ask.

"One year, maybe," She replies and gently sets me down. Mommy turns away, trying to conceal her tears but I can still see them.

Father holds his hand out for me. I grab it and grip it tightly. He steps into a shadow and we're consumed in darkness.